Can a guy wear a non-masculine color shirt and still be a dude?
 

O.K., here's the situation...

My girlfriend and I went shopping this past weekend (she wanted to get new spring clothes, and she dragged me along with her after Stanford lost to Connecticut-I was SERIOUSLY bumming). Anyway, we went to Macy's, and they had these Polo shirts on sale for spring, and she thought "to cheer me up", that she would buy me a couple. Well, she bought three-one yellow, one pink, and one purple (lilac???-I don't know). Not the most masculine of colors. Why would Ralphie Lauren make such shirts??? Does he really think that heterosexual men would willingly buy these??? Now I am stuck, because I didn't see her buy them, and now she wants me to wear one out in public. The yellow one is not so bad, because it contrasts well with my skin tone, but the other two colors are...and I don't mean this in a bad way...gay (not that there's anything wrong with that). So I am gonna take them back, but she will be a little hurt...Ladies, what should I do? Should I just wear each of them once to appease her? I mean, the intentions were good, it's just that I think that it makes a statement that is not me (especially living in the Bay Area).

Be secure in your masculinity and work those shirts! :D

When you wear them make sure your seen with your gf at all times.lol

I have the yellow one at first I didn’t like it but it’s really grown on me and it usually gets worn when I go sailing. As for pink one of the girls we went on Spring Break with kept talking about how she likes guys in pink polo shirts and I basically told her not in a million fucking years would I be seen in one.

hmm.....
 

Honestly, I wouldn't make my boyfriend wear anything he is uncomfortable in, and by the same token, I wouldn't wear anything I am uncomfortable in- even if he did buy it for me.

I say, tell her how you feel and take them back. If she is cool, she won't care. It is not that big a deal.

Talk to her and tell her that while her intentions were good, you just don't think those colors are good for you. I bought my boyfriend an orange (bright orange, kinda rusty looking) shirt a few years back cause I thought it would look wonderful with his dark skin tone (he's Hispanic). He thought otherwise, so he took it back for a color he liked. I now make jokes about it...even though I was a little disappointed that he didn't like it. But, like sunnygirl said, if she's cool, she'll understand.

good luck! I think you should get bonus points for not wanting to hurt her feelings ;)


Jadey

C'mon.... please your girl.

First of all its not like your going to wear the pink polo shirt that she bought you when your not going to be with her ( whats the point). So its not like your going to be disobeying your masculinity. I mean, fine your going to have on a pink shirt, but fuck it... your going to have your arm around a hot girl, and that is all that matters. And if you are that set against wearing the shirts.. wear them when you know it is just going to be the two of you.

But...
Don't return them.

Returning those shirts is like telling her that she failed, and that would hurt her feelings. When someone buys a gift they feel like they are getting the perfect thing for that special someone, don't make it known that she let you down. Just make subtel hints next time as far as color choice goes. you know, tell her that she has the prettiest blue eyes, and that blue is your favorite color... something cheesy like that.

Amen to that. And hey, my dad wears pink polos and oxfords and you BETTER not be calling my daddy gay. :) It can look good. The pink isn't for every guy (eek, I hope no one takes that the wrong way...) but purple can look ok on some guys. If she can see that they don't look good on you she'll be less likely to pressure you to wear them.

purple is cool on some guys
i know tons of guys who wear lilac but they are extremely sloppy with it(a signal that you're not gay)
like they'll wear those cargo guy capris from structure, the lilac polo untucked and wrinkled, and some tennis with no socks. . .

of course, i don't have any ugly guy friends
but they are absolute horn dogs

Wow...what great comments!

Thanks Everyone!

I will keep them all...I just won't wear them out (maybe just around the apartment when the two of us are alone, just so she knows that I appreciate the gift). But the lesson that I learned is...if you are buying clothes for a "significant other", make sure that the person is there with you, so that they get what they like, rather than what you think they would look good in (except if a guy is buying his woman something from Victoria's Secrets, then it can be what HE wants to see her in!):D

I diasagree. I think, like some others have said, if she's cool, she'll understand. She'll admit she made a mistake and move on. I think if she's not cool with it, she either doesn't know her boyfriend very well or she's trying to change him.

I hardly think that wearing pink and lilac shirts is an indication of your masculinity, even in the Bay area. If it makes you feel better, I've seen Town and Country models wearing that type of gear.

Besides, people with any shade of brown skin look great in pink.
;)

You can also wear them under a crewneck sweater - gray/pink and black/lilac would look great, and the color isn't quite so, well, colorful.

Here in Steeler-land yellow shirts on guys are quite common (it should be GOLD, but yellow passes) so if you want to sport that yellow shirt fearlessly, just take a road trip. :D

i got a couple pink shirts. i look good as hell in them. rock them with some baggy jeans and timbs.

To answer the question @ hand: Yes!
 

Yesssss indeed!


:cool:

Here's my rule of advice

You can wear a pink shirt,

you can have long hair,

you can have a mustache.

Just never all at the same time

Try to get something out of it from her...like "okay I'll wear the shirt if..."

I borrowed my bf's pink shirt the other day. My sister thought that it was funny that he had such a bright pink shirt , but I like it. :cool: Wearing those shirts for your girlfriend when you two are alone is a great compromise. :)

Hahaha, that's some pretty good advice. :D Except for the mustache, I hate those, they're never acceptable in my book. :)

I think that some guys can pass off wearing those colors and some cant. I mean some guys look HOT and some look weird in them. I agree with what someone said earlier, you shouldnt have to wear something you would feel uncomfortable in because I am sure your girlfriend wouldnt want that anyways.

Just let her know you like the shirts but the colors arent what you would normally pick out. Tell her you want to try and exchange them for colors that are more "you".

I dont think she will be hurt- and I know you want to please her, but if that means you being miserable then just tell her.

The right kind of guy in a light pink or lilac polo or button down can be very sexy... It has to be worn in a casual, rumpled way though.

But if YOU aren't comfortable with it, your girl will probably know, so you might as well tell her.

lilac i am not too sure about... however i am a big fan of lime green on a guy.

and pink... well it worked for ross on friends... just say it's salmon :D

Here at my school, if you can rock a pink shirt...you're a REAL man! I tend to think so too.

I think light pink/peach looks good on some guys. But please do NOT wear it with sandblasted jeans.


Anyway, who became God and assigned certain colors to genders? Why can't a guy wear pink or purple without people passing judgements? Sheesh.

this post and the one in james' 'cancun' thread is freaking me out. are you the typical horny guy or is puberty making your hormones rage?

Sorry Timber...I'm taken!

But, if you are anywhere near San Francisco, I am SURE that I can hook you up with any number of guys wearing pink shirts!!!;)

Guys Wearing Capris...and pastel colors?? What will they think of next!!!!!!!! Oh my :p I've never heard of such a thing, at least not around here!!!

I agree with those that say just keeps the shirts, try and wear them around her, and intimate the colors/styles you really like for the next time. I got my SO a sweater for Christmas and it didn't fit, so he returned it (with me, mind you) and got something he "really" liked. It really didn't make me appreciate his honesty any more: it just made me resolved that I won't buy him clothing (or much else) anytime soon!

I think that it's a bit insensitive to let someone know that you didn't like their gift, as "most" folks take some time in thinking about a gift they would like you to have/you would appreciate. It is an honor to receive one and not obligatory on their part (just like I'm not "obligated" to use the gift). When folks get me gifts that they thought I would like (and I don't), I focus on the fact that they cared about me enough to try, rather than focusing on "why would they get me THAT?" When I think like that, I find that most time I DO appreciate their gift with time, even if I didn't initially.

And pink (especially salmon) and yellow shirts can be freaked and look great--I'm thinking baggier (not saggin') khakis, boots (doc martens, tims) etc--kind of a Sean Jean style would work. (I'm not sold on the lilac in the Bay Area though).

Just please please please be tan when you rock the pastels....(self tanner is fine)....ain't nothing worse than a see through guy in a gay shirt

You bring up a good point...The man capri's MUST go!

I worked at GAP when they first came out 3 years ago, andthose things stayed on the shelves for months.

I heard its popular on the west coast, but here in the south its not worn by many hetrosexual men